Beckett
by zashaxander
Summary: He's armed, she's dangerous!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Kate screwed up yet another page of her notepad and threw it across the room, narrowly missing the wastepaper basket and hitting her daughter, who was just coming through the door, squarely on the nose.

"Sorry, Lex," she said, not sounding sorry at all. Alexis laughed and threw it back at her.

"You're such a bad shot, mom," the ten year old laughed.

"Hey. You distracted me."

"How's the writing going?"

"Crap."

"You shouldn't have killed off Derrick."

"I shouldn't have let you read it."

"You have to let me read it. I'm your number one editor."

"You're too little for murder stories."

"I like them. Anyway, they're not real."

"Very true. Where's Grams and Grandpa?"

"Work."

"I thought they were having dinner with us tonight?"

"Grams called earlier, Grandpa's busy too, they're at the office together. They said to tell you sorry."

"They're always sorry. But we still never see 'em."

"Do you wish they were around more?"

Kate smiled. "Of course I do, but not too much - I have you. By the way, are you still coming to the launch party with me tomorrow night?"

"Sure." Alexis came over and sat on her lap. "I love your parties."

"Everyone loves my parties. I'll let you try some champagne if you want."

"Mom, I'm ten!"

"I'd tried champagne by the time I was ten."

"Yeah, but…"

Kate chuckled. "Yeah, I wasn't exactly a model child. So. What do you want for dinner? Ice cream?"

"Ice cream isn't dinner, it's dessert."

"Dessert can be dinner. We can have vanilla for our main course and then chocolate afterwards."

"What about pasta?"

"Fine. Boring."

Kate lifted Alexis up and held her on her hip. She was a bit old to be carried, but she was so little and light. Kate set her on the kitchen counter of her beautiful open plan loft and they cooked together, making pasta and tomato sauce. Kate was a fantastic cook; for all her ice cream jokes she very rarely ordered in, and she enjoyed providing a varied and balanced diet for her family. Her mother had always been at work and Kate had been taught to cook by her father - when he had been around.

They ate their dinner sitting on the counter. After they'd finished the dishes, Kate looked around the apartment for inspiration. She knew what Alexis was thinking before she even caught her eye.

"Laser tag?" she said. Alexis grinned and ran to get the stuff. Kate put the vase from the piano in the hall closet and turned on the radio to their favourite station.

She tried to write again after Alexis had gone to bed, but starting something new was a lot harder than writing Derrick, even if it was more exciting. After a glass of red wine, she gave up and went to bed. She texted her parents to remind them about the launch the next night, but she didn't have high hopes about their attendance. Still. There was always a chance - they were good people, and they truly cared. They had every article, every first edition, every picture, displayed around their living room. They might be busy, but they were definitely proud of their daughter.

Kate's alarm woke her at seven; she jumped out of bed and hurried upstairs. Unsurprisingly, Alexis was already up and showered.

"Will you do a braid?" she asked when her mom came in. Kate sat behind her and began to work on Alexis' beautiful red hair. That had come from her father, as had the bright sparkle of blue-green in her eyes.

"What do you want for lunch?" she asked when she was done.

"Can I have peanut butter please? And carrot sticks?"

Kate patted her head. "Sure. I'll just go make that. D'you need anything else?"

"No thank you."

Kate hurried downstairs to make herself presentable enough to drive Alexis to school, then made the packed lunch. Alexis skipped into the hall just as Kate popped a packet of oreos into the bag. She rolled the top down and handed it to her daughter.

"Ready?"

"Yep. We're not even late."

"Really? Maybe we should think of something else to do!"

Alexis laughed. "Come on. And you're picking me up?"

"Of course."

"And it's the party! Is my dress ready?"

"You mean the blue one that matches mine? No, I don't even know where it is…" but there was a twinkle in her eyes. Alexis giggled.

"You're so silly."

"I know. Right. Allons-y."

"What?"

"Means let's go in French."

"All-ons-ee," Alexis said slowly.

"You got it."

When Kate returned she found a message from her mother saying she would be at the launch party even if she had to walk right out of court. She grinned. And then… she changed into her batman t-shirt and sweat pants and played call of duty while she waited for inspiration to strike. At one o'clock she made herself a pastrami sandwich and forced herself to sit in front of her laptop instead of the widescreen, but it wasn't any more productive.

At three she put her clothes back on and left to collect Alexis; she timed it perfectly so she approached the school just as Alexis ran out.

"Good day?" she asked as Alexis buckled up.

"Yeah. I gave Owen one of my oreos."

"Oh, did you now?" Kate waggled her eyebrows.

"Shut up. I mean, be quiet."

Kate laughed. "No, shut up's okay if I ask about your love life."

"It's not my love life!"

"Are you tired?"

"No. Are you?"

"No! I'm too excited to be tired."

"Exactly. Did you write anything today?"

"Yes…"

"You played video games didn't you?"

"Are you judging?"

"No. But you'd feel better if you wrote."

Kate sighed. "I know. But I can't think of anything."

"You could bring Derrick back to life."

"Hardly - did you not read the book?"

"There were some loopholes."

Kate pretended to gasp. "Loopholes?"

Alexis laughed. "Yes. Loads. The plot was totally unrealistic."

They stopped at the waxing place first. Alexis made a face and stayed in the waiting room.

"You'll understand when you're older and they ask you to be on the cover of Vogue," Kate told her.

"I still can't believe you're being mean about my plot," Kate said when she came out again. "You've got me worried now. "What if people don't like it?"

"Your editor loved it. And you know I'm kidding," Alexis assured Kate as they drove to the salon. Kate hadn't booked anything, she probably should have but-

"Oh my God, is that…"

"Wait, no, it can't be!"

"It is, I'd know that face anywhere."

"I'd know that ass anywhere!"

"Forget the ass, I'd know that HAIR anywhere."

Kate held in her giggles as the staff in the upmarket salon jostled to get to her first.

"We'd like our hair and nails done, please," she said, winking at Alexis.

"Ms Beckett, yes, of course, certainly," gushed the first rather flustered stylist.

Two hours later they left, with stunning nails and hair.

"We should put that one on the good list," Alexis said.

"I don't know. They talked about my ass."

"In a complementary way," Alexis pointed out.

"True. Okay. I'm a sucker for flattery."

They picked up a pizza on the way back to the loft and ate it quickly before putting on their make up and dresses. Then they stood in front of the huge mirror in Kate's bedroom and admired themselves.

"Ready for the red carpet?" Kate asked, sipping her glass of wine.

"I am - are you?"

"Dutch courage," Kate said, lifting her wine glass. Alexis clinked it with her coke.

"It'll be fine. If you trip I'll trip too, worse, so everyone looks at me instead."

"How did you get to be so nice?"

"It's a mystery," Alexis teased.

The buzzer went.

"That'll be the limousine," Kate said, picking up her clutch purse with one hand and taking Alexis' hand with the other. They took the elevator together, grinning with excitement, though Kate's smile was a bit of a nervous grimace by the time they were in the car.

They leaned back in the exquisitely comfortable leather seats. Kate switched to orange juice so she wasn't tipsy for the red carpet; Alexis was on water now.

The limo pulled up and the driver opened the door. Kate got out in a way that was just the right balance of neat and sexy. It was one of the first things she had mastered. Although when she didn't bring Alexis she was known for turning up to parties on her Harley.

She took Alexis' hand and they walked through the sea of flashing cameras and screaming paparazzi.

"Just smile and walk," Kate whispered. Alexis gripped her hand more tightly, but her smile betrayed none of her fear. And then they were safe inside, in a whirlwind of beautiful dresses and classy music. They were late, but only fashionably, and Kate reached the podium just as she was supposed to make a speech. She managed a few words of flirtatious praise for her readers, then stepped into the crowd, signing books and the occasional muscular torso for the adoring fans that were rich and influential enough to have scored invitations.

Gene gripped her arm and lead her aside for a moment; she'd left Alexis in the hands of the bartender, an old friend of hers.

"You very nearly missed it," Gene said through gritted teeth.

"Relax. I didn't. It's fine."

"I can't believe you killed off Derrick."

"Hey. Derrick isn't the golden goose here, I am."

"I'm still waiting on the first three chapters of something new."

He said something new with an air of strong disbelief.

"I'm working on it, okay!"

"That's not what my sources tell me," he said sternly, but he winked at her before going back to mingle in the crowd. Kate gave him the finger, not very discreetly, as he left.

"Never sleep with your publisher," she told Alexis as she helped herself to a glass of champagne at the bar. Alexis wrinkled up her nose.

"You always give me the best advice," she said sarcastically.

Kate sighed. "Gene was mad."

"I like Gene."

"I know, but… I wish we didn't have to go to all these things. My speech felt so fake."

"I thought it was good."

"Thanks, sweetie, really. But it's still so boring. I'd much rather hang out with you at home."

"You don't mean that. I know you like them really," Alexis told her as yet another gorgeous man tapped Kate on the shoulder.

"Where would you like it?" she asked, winking as she produced a sharpie.

"Detective Rick Castle. Actually, I'd like to talk to you about a murder that took place recently."

* * *

A/N: I really hoped you liked this, because it is one of my very very favourite ideas that I've ever had and I'm going to have to keep writing it whether you like it or not! Please review, love you x


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks so much for all the amazing feedback and the brilliant response you've given me. I hope you enjoy this chapter even more than the first!

* * *

Rick watched his suspect from the other side of the interview room table. He knew full well she hadn't done it. She had an alibi, and besides, she was Kate Beckett. She wasn't capable of killing anyone, she was too-

"Take a picture, it'll last longer. I'll even sign it for you."

"Look, Miss Beckett, I don't have all night. People are dead. It's not a laughing matter."

Kate just grinned at him. He changed tack. "You have a criminal record. You don't have an alibi. Two people are dead. It doesn't look good."

"Okay, I know I've been a bit of a naughty girl in the past but it's years since I've been in trouble. Anyway, if you're still angry," she winked at him, "I'd be happy to let you spank me."

Rick tried not to blush. "Stop messing around. Look at these pictures, do you recognise this man or this woman?"

"No. And her I'd remember, she's beautiful. Is she who got murdered? Jeez, she's so young!"

Rick produced a crime scene photograph. Kate gaped at it.

"Oh my God, that's Flowers For Your Grave! I have a copycat! Can I get a copy of this?"

Rick snatched the picture away. "No, these are official crime scene photographs! You can't just get copies of them."

"Aw, come on, it wouldn't hurt. My daughter would be so impressed."

"You would show this to Alexis?"

It slipped out before Rick could stop himself.

"How do you know my daughter's name?"

He cleared his throat. "I looked you up, for the case."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Sure. How did you know this was out of my book? Was the guy laid out like this too?"

Reluctantly, Rick showed her the pictures from the other crime scene. "I didn't put it together until now, but this is Hell Hath No Fury, isn't it?"

Kate chuckled. "Detective Castle, do you want to go for a drink with me?"

"What?"

"It's clear I didn't do it. And I didn't know either of your victims. But I can feel your eyes tearing me out of this beautiful dress and while that is highly inappropriate, I wouldn't mind talking to you about something other than murder in somewhere other than this dingy little room. I'll even let you pay."

"You're a suspect-"

"We both know that's bullshit," she said, getting up and moving over to lean on his side of the table. To her surprise, he stood up too.

"You don't own this room," he said in a dangerously level voice. "So sit down, shut up, and don't speak unless you're answering a question. You might be used to winding men around your little finger. But I'm not going to be one of your conquests, Beckett, so calm yourself down and stop wasting my time."

Kate felt a pleasant tingle in her abdomen at his low, powerful voice. She sat back in her seat, batting her eyelashes coyly at him as he asked her a few more questions.

To Rick's annoyance, it was clear she didn't know anything. He would have to let her go. He led her out through the bullpen; she walked slowly, taking everything in. She stopped before they got on the elevator to scribble something on a piece of paper that one of the uniforms handed her. Rick thought it was an autograph, but to his surprise she handed the paper to him.

"That's my cell number," she whispered seductively into his ear. "Call me when you need my help."

* * *

"Mom!" Alexis cried as she ran across the room and cannoned into her mother. "I thought maybe you were arrested or…"

Her voice was drowned in the tight hug Kate now had her enveloped in.

"I'm fine, honey. They just wanted to talk to me."

Alexis recovered herself. "I know. I mean, I mostly knew that but then you were gone for so long…"

"There was a lot of paperwork. Nothing very interesting." She looked up at Johanna.

"How was your evening?"

Johanna smiled. "It was good. I liked the party. Jim had to go, an urgent call from a client. If you don't mind, now that you're back…" She trailed off, not wanting to ask to leave.

"It's okay." Kate smiled. "You took Lex for me for hours without any warning, and you came to the party. I know you care, and I know you love your job. I like that you're so committed. You help people. It's good. You should go."

Johanna kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you, darling."

Kate closed her eyes, enjoying the rare moment of closeness from her mother.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"I'll call you," Johanna promised as she left the loft. Alexis watched the door close.

"I like Grams. She's fun."

"Yeah. She really is, when she's not busy."

"It's a shame she's mostly so busy."

"Yes. It is. Are you hungry, did she give you something to eat? You're not ready for bed yet."

"I wanted to wait for you…"

Kate hugged her even more tightly.

"Come on. Let's go upstairs and find your pyjamas, then I'll read you a chapter of your book. Or you could read me one, if you want."

"You read. You're better at it."

"You know, I never thought I was. I didn't like reading aloud at all at school. People thought that since I liked writing so much, and I always read so much, that I'd be fine reading out loud. But I hated it. I like reading to you, but that's very different."

"But you're so confident. And you like attention."

"I guess there are different kinds of attention."

They went upstairs and Alexis got ready for bed while Kate flicked through The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. She smiled. It was one of her favourites, and she and Alexis had been through the whole series several times already. They had just reached the section where Edmund disappears to find the White Witch.

"I feel sorry for Edmund," Alexis said, coming back from the bathroom, a little trace of toothpaste at the side of her mouth.

"Why's that?" Kate asked her.

"Because the others are mean to him, and the witch wasn't. He's only little, it's not surprising that she convinced him really. And at the end I think he's the bravest of all of them, because he comes back."

"But what about the others? They were always good, so what makes Edmund better? He was bad and selfish at first."

Alexis thought about this. "I think he's more realistic. The others are too good to be true. Susan's a bit boring, Peter's too superior and bossy… Lucy's nice."

"Edmund teased Lucy at first," Kate reminded him. "And he was cruel to her, even when he found out about Narnia."

Alexis bit her lip. "Yeah… I still like him. The witch made him feel special. His siblings didn't do that. I wouldn't have done what he did, but I still like him. He made mistakes, but he didn't really mean to hurt anyone."

Kate smiled at her. "I like the way you think. So. They're with Mr and Mrs Beaver right now, aren't they…"

By the end of the chapter Alexis was very nearly asleep, but she remembered she still had a lot of questions.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey?" Kate was sitting on the edge of the bed. Alexis' eyelids drooped with tiredness.

"What was prison like?"

Kate laughed. "It wasn't prison, it was just a precinct. I didn't even get locked in a cell. It was just like an office really."

"That's a shame," Alexis said softly.

"I have been in a cell before," Kate admitted. Alexis was too tired for her surprise to show.

"What did you do?"

"I borrowed a police horse."

"And they locked you up?"

"I… wasn't wearing any clothes."

Alexis chuckled quietly.

"Why?"

"It was to win a bet. And to impress someone."

"Did you?"

"Did I win the bet or did I impress someone?"

"Both."

"Yes. Or I thought I did. Perhaps I didn't impress them enough…"

Alexis yawned. "Who was it?" she murmured.

Kate kissed her on the forehead. "How about I tell you the whole story sometime when you're not so asleep?"

Alexis didn't even answer. Kate got up quietly and left the room, turning out the light as she went. She left the door a little bit open and left the landing light on so it wasn't completely dark, then went downstairs to her office and looked at her bookshelf, her brow furrowed in thought.

It was the murders. And it was just… curious. Murder was supposed to make sense. In all her books, every murder, every case, always made sense. Because there was always a story, there were always reasons… So why those books? Why had the killer chosen them? And why those people? They didn't know each other, there was no connection. No connection except her.

* * *

Rick put his feet up on the coffee table in his small, neatly decorated living room, and read over the case notes again, desperately searching for something he'd missed, but there was nothing. Both crime scenes had been clean, the victims weren't at all connected… The only thing that made him sure this case couldn't be a dead end was her. The books. Kate Beckett. Sighing, he put down the case file and picked up the newspaper. He already knew she was in it, she'd been at several parties and benefits recently to promote the release of the final Derrick Storm book. He had been surprised, tonight, to see her at the launch party with her daughter instead of a handsome, famous young man. She'd been coupled with all of them, most recently with Will Sorenson, a hardcore action movie actor with rock hard abs and a similar personality. Rick was glad it seemed to be over… It wasn't that he thought he had any hope with her himself, it was just that he wanted her to be happy, and he didn't think Will had made her happy. He told himself repeatedly that his liking for her was purely down to respect and admiration for her writing, but now that he'd met her he found himself even more curious about her. She was so beautiful, but so powerful too. So intelligent, but so fun. She was light, shallow, crude, inappropriate, flirtatious… A true wild child. But with true talent.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Kate had all but put it out of her mind, it had been almost a week and Alexis and book promotion easily took up her time. She tipped back her office chair, putting her feet up on the desk, yawning as she looked at her laptop. Its 'you should be writing' screensaver blared at her; she rolled her eyes at it. Writing what?

She grinned when her buzzer went. She loved distractions. As she walked over to let whoever it was, probably the UPS man, in, she wondered how long she could make the conversation last.

"Miss Beckett, this is Detective Castle. I have a warrant for your arrest, and another to search your apartment."

"Wait, what?"

"If you don't let us in we will have to enter by force."

Gaping, Kate pressed the buzzer. She unlocked her front door and waited for the ping of the elevator, then listened to the feet tramping along the corridor, trying to count how many people were coming.

She opened the door. Three.

"This is Detective Esposito and Detective Ryan. We'll be as neat as we can."

Castle waved Ryan upstairs and Esposito started on the living room.

"I thought it would be better if I did your room…"

Kate lead the way, stumped. She had no idea what had brought them here, and was strongly resisting the urge to scream at them. Idiots. But instead she let Castle into her bedroom. He looked under the bed.

"Can I see the warrant, please?"

Reluctantly, Castle handed it to her. Kate wanted to know what they were looking for. It was mostly boring, copies of her books - which of course she would have. But they were also looking for the murder weapon.

"You won't find that here," she said, looking at the gun listed on the flimsy piece of paper. "Look, I can understand you wanting to see me again but really this is a bit extreme. A phone call would have been fine."

Castle opened a drawer, his eyes widening when he saw what she kept in it. He sifted through her lacy underwear, then turned and winked at her when he found something else, forgetting she was a suspect.

"The real thing's better, don't you think?"

Kate wasn't embarrassed. "Unfortunately, with regards to your real thing, I'll never know." She looked down at his crotch. "Nah, I don't think I'm missing much."

Castle put the vibrator back in the drawer and closed it, then took a step closer to Kate. "That's where you're wrong," he muttered. "Now, turn around, hands behind your head."

"This turn you on, Castle?" she said sarcastically. Castle blushed, glad she couldn't see him, and cuffed her hands tightly behind her. Kate pulled instinctively at the restraints, trying to remember her week with a group of convicts who could escape cuffs just with a bit of twisting.

They left the loft an hour later, having found nothing but the first editions of the books, which it was of course perfectly reasonable for Kate to have. She kept an eye on the time. It was still three hours before Alexis would be finishing school; she really wanted to be done with the cops by then.

Castle sat her down at the interview room table, her hands still cuffed awkwardly behind her.

"We thought it was Kyle. You were almost home free. But something just didn't quite fit… And you're the only other connection."

Kate stared at him. "Seriously? You seriously think I killed those people?"

"You have no alibis. You manipulated me before but I'm not going to let that happen again."

"Man, there's no story," Kate sighed. She wasn't really worried. If things got any stickier, she could just call her mother. It sounded lame, but her mom was the best lawyer in the city and would be more than happy to come down at get her home, her name completely cleared, in just a few minutes.

"There doesn't have to be a story. Three people-"

"Wait, three? I thought it was two. Did someone else get killed? Who? Was it like another of my books?"

"You know full well who else was killed, because you killed her."

"Come on, dude, I didn't kill anyone."

"You kill people every day. It's your job."

"Castle, do I really have to explain to you the difference between fact and fiction."

"Maybe I should explain to you - you're the one who seems to have blurred the lines."

Kate stood up, kicking her chair backwards, furious.

"Listen, buddy, I'm playing along because frankly you don't seem all that great at your job and I thought you could use some help. But I need to collect my daughter from school in a couple of hours so that's what you've got. Two hours to figure out it wasn't me before I call my mother, I'm sure you've heard of her, and sue this precinct for every penny it's worth."

Castle didn't flinch, but inside he was genuinely worried. And he didn't think it was her. He took her arm firmly.

"Come on," he said.

"What? Where?"

"Downstairs. You're agitated. We'll resume this conversation after you've calmed down in the cells."

Kate considered insisting on her phone call, but she saw something interesting on his face, something which held her back. He marched her down to the cells, which were empty, and led her right to the back of one of the dark boxes.

"Supposing it wasn't you. Who was it?"

"You said three people?"

Their faces were dangerously close, their voices soft, full of anticipation.

"Yes, three."

"Three's where you start looking for a psycho… So I think it was someone with motive to kill just one of them. Find the missing piece, find out who the intended victim is. And that'll lead you to the killer."

Kate felt his body pressing against hers. He knew this stuff, of course he did, but one particular part of him that was pressing into her made it obvious that he wasn't really down here to ask her how to do his job. And she didn't have a problem with that at all. She opened her mouth, jerking her hips. He gasped, then stepped away abruptly.

"Damn, I hope it wasn't you. Because I am really looking forward to buying you a drink later."

Kate smiled. "And what in the world makes you think that I'm up for that?"

Castle looked her up and down.

"You need a man in your life who isn't afraid to tell you what to do."

Kate rolled her eyes. "And that's you, is it? Run along, pretty boy, solve your murder case. I want to get out of here."

An hour later, Castle had to rouse a sleeping Kate, shaking her gently by the shoulders as she snoozed on the bench in the cell.

"You were right," he told her, unlocking her cuffs. She rubbed her wrists appreciatively.

"You're an idiot," she told him. "And I'm going to get my daughter."

"I'll pick you up at eight?"

Kate sighed. "Make it nine, after Lex is in bed. You're paying for everything."

He grinned from ear to ear. She shook her head, amused.

"You're absurd," she told him, signing the form he gave her before heading to the elevator. He chuckled.

"Maybe you were right, maybe I just wanted to see you again."

"Next time I'm cuffing you," she retorted, winking at him as she watched excited shivers run through his body.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! As always, please review. x


	4. Chapter 4

"Wait, so what happened today?"

"The cops searched the apartment, I was arrested, and I got asked out on a date."

"A date with who?"

"Remember the cop from the party?"

"Him? Seriously, mom, that guy?"

Kate laughed. "Don't you think he's cute?"

"Yeah, but he's a cop… And he arrested you."

"I've forgiven him. It was quite fun really."

Alexis frowned. "He has sad eyes."

"Why does that mean I shouldn't date him?"

"It doesn't, it's not related. But don't you think he has sad eyes?"

Kate considered this. "Yeah. He does. Maybe I'll figure out why tonight."

"Where's he taking you?"

"For drinks, after you're in bed. I'll call-"

"Lanie, please call Lanie!"

Kate had just pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store. "Okay," she said, sending a text to her best friend on her cell. "Now. What do you want for dinner?"

They spent the next hour shopping, first getting food and then making a quick stop at the mall - Alexis insisted, despite all Kate's clothes, that she needed to buy something new for her date.

"I'm only doing this to humour you," Kate told Alexis, rolling her eyes as she tried on a silky black dress. Alexis grinned.

"I love it."

Kate changed back into her jeans and they left the changing rooms, then she scanned the store they were in to see if it had a good underwear department.

"You go find something for yourself, okay? I'll meet you back here in a bit."

Alexis gave her a look. "Fine. But don't take forever."

Kate chuckled as Alexis pottered off to the children's department, then went to pick up some underwear Castle wouldn't have seen before. It was silly, it was pointless - what was she even thinking? That she'd be going back to his place after their first date? He wasn't that kind of a guy. She was that kind of a girl, though… She sighed and chose a couple of nice sets, then went back to find Alexis, who was holding a t-shirt with a unicorn on it. Two, actually, one in a size that would fit Kate.

"Seriously?" Kate asked. Alexis batted her eyelashes.

"Fine. But I'm not wearing mine outside the house."

Alexis grinned. "That's what you think," she said happily.

They went home and made dinner; Alexis narrowly avoided staining her new shirt with curry sauce. When the washing up was done Alexis got out her homework.

"Math?" Kate said miserably.

"I like math," Alexis said, starting on the problems. Kate peered over her shoulder, able to do the sums but only slightly faster than her daughter.

"When I was your age I don't think I ever did my math homework," she said reminiscently.

"Yeah, and you were always in trouble and nobody liked you."

"Hey, loads of people liked me."

"What's this one? I don't think I have it right."

"You forgot to make the 4 negative, see?"

"Oh, right!" Alexis fixed the answer. "Better?"

"Perfect. Are you done now?"

Alexis finished the worksheet and closed her book.

"What now?" she asked. They looked around the room for inspiration.

"Do we have time for a movie?" Alexis asked.

2 hours and a lot of tears later, Kate switched off the TV and hoisted a very sleepy Alexis into her arms. She helped her upstairs and sat her in the bathroom, getting her changed and brushing her teeth. Lanie had arrived about an hour into the movie; she lounged on the couch with a glass of wine and the remote at the ready.

"You're too old for this," she said fondly.

"I'll never be too old," Alexis mumbled. Kate kissed her forehead.

"Okay. Done. Bedtime."

Alexis yawned and held Kate's hand as she walked across her room and flopped into bed.

"Have a nice date," she said. As if on cue, the buzzer went.

"Have a nice sleep," Kate responded. "Goodnight, pumpkin."

She left the room and hurried downstairs. "Could you get that?" she called to Lanie. Lanie smiled. Kate hadn't showered, she was still in her jeans, her hair was an albeit attractive tousled mess, and she had something resembling chocolate at the corner of her mouth.

"Shut up," Kate said, narrowing her eyes as she went to her room. She stripped, spraying on deodorant and perfume, pulling the tags off her new clothes and clambering into them. In her bathroom she brushed her teeth, washed her face, considered her hair but decided it looked intentional enough to be ignored, and smacked on some mascara and eyeliner before stepping into her 4 inch black stilettos and sauntering back into the main room where Castle was now waiting for her. He breathed in sharply when he saw her. She grinned.

"Ready?" she asked him. He just nodded wordlessly. She picked up her purse, winked at Lanie, and took the arm Castle offered. He had a hold of himself now. He was wearing a sleek maroon shirt and smart black pants. Kate approved.

"Good afternoon?" he asked her.

"Lovely, thanks. I spent it with my daughter. You?"

"We got the guy, so yeah, pretty great. Then it was just paperwork."

They rode down in the elevator to the vestibule and went out on the street to get a taxi.

"Yeah. We got the guy," Kate said, winking at him. Castle narrowed his eyes.

"You'll never let me live it down if I say I couldn't have done it without you, will you?"

"Nope. But thanks." She leaned back in her seat. He flashed her a smile.

"You should smile more. It suits you," she said to him.

"I smile plenty. You just hadn't given me any reason to before."

Kate laughed. "Well then, I'm glad I have now." She was so beautiful he almost had to catch his breath every time he looked at her. And that dress…

"Why did you become a cop?" she asked him as they got out at one of her favourite bars - she'd chosen, giving the instruction to the driver before he'd been able to get a word in.

He opened the door to the bar for her; she rolled her eyes but stepped in front of him.

"Why does anyone?" he asked. Kate ordered herself a large glass of red wine, Castle had a beer.

Kate gave him a look as they sat down at a little corner table, hidden from most of the room.

"Come on, Castle. You have to have a story?"

"And why's that?"

"Because… your accent. Your suit. Your hair. You dress like a cop but… you're too neat. You're smart, too, and educated. You've read my books, you like to read. Your confidence is to be expected, sort of, but it's a different kind of confidence. And the most interesting thing about you is your eyes."

He raised one eyebrow at her questioningly. She smiled.

"You have the adorable cheeky twinkle to go with that wicked smile of yours, an assertive sense of humour that sparkles through… But that's the top layer. Your strength, your confidence, is all a front to hide… pain."

Kate watched as she took him apart, watched him cast his eyes down then smooth out his expression to one of stony indifference and take another swig of his beer.

"Neat trick. But don't think you know me."

"Who did you lose, Castle?" Kate asked gently. "You can talk to me, if you want…"

"I don't," he said shortly. Kate frowned.

"Fair enough," she said, taking another drink of wine.

"What about you, what's your story?" Castle asked, diverting the focus of their attention to her. Kate made a face.

"You've seen a lot of it in my file, and probably the rest in the papers. But ask me anything you like."

"Okay… Tell me about Meredith."

Kate rolled her eyes. "You're such a guy, you know that?"

Castle winked at her.

"You already know that she's my daughter's birth mother… People find it strange that Lex and I aren't biologically related. There was this huge fuss when Mer and I initially broke up, but she never wanted the baby anyway. She's an actress, she wants to jet about the world… And my lawyers made sure I have sole custody. I didn't want it to be a big deal, but Lex is legally mine. Meredith shows up occasionally to see us, with ridiculous presents or ideas for days out. She'll be around for a few days, maybe a week… Lex knows how it is. She's fine with it. She's such a great kid, I don't know where she gets it…"

"Who was her father? Sorry, that's personal…"

"No, I don't mind. It was her director. Apparently I wasn't enough for her, she had to screw her boss as well. And then I took her back. And kept the baby she never really wanted."

"Ouch."

"Yeah… Sorry, I'm telling my sob story. I'm so used to everyone knowing them…"

"It's okay. It's interesting."

"That's one word for it."

"You're a lot better at talking than I am."

Kate grinned. "That's probably true." She finished her wine and let Castle go up to the bar and get her another one. Wow. She really needed to reign it in! She blamed the wine… And Castle's ass. He really did have a great ass…

"Hey," he said, putting her drink down in front of her. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was thinking about your ass, actually," she told him, smirking.

"My ass?"

"Yes. It's very nice."

"Thanks." He winked at her. Kate knew exactly what that wink meant. She wondered whether she wanted to go there yet or not…

They stayed very close in the cab ride back to his place. They hadn't agreed on anything, but when the car pulled over Kate got out too. The driver waited, not sure if she was getting back in. Kate wasn't sure either.

"Do you… do you want to come up?" Castle asked. Kate looked at him, hard. She looked at his strong, muscular body, his seductive smile, his cute haircut… And those bright blue eyes so full of mystery, a mystery she was already determined to solve.

She moved in close, running a hand from his waist around to the small of his back, then whispered in his ear.

"Some other time, maybe," she said, feeling his hips flex instinctively against her before she pulled away and got back into the taxi.

She didn't know why she'd decided not to… She wanted to, her whole body wanted him, fiercely, burningly desired him. Maybe it was that - she liked to challenge herself from time to time. But it was also, she thought as she took the vibrator out of the drawer, smiling at the fact that he'd picked it up earlier, it was also that she wanted to solve this mystery. She could be his conquest, he could be hers, and they could part ways, maybe tomorrow, maybe in a few weeks, maybe even after months… But the way something started had to be important. And she didn't just want to fuck him. She wanted to be his friend.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, please review!


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